Foldable stage structure



Feb. 13, 1945.

AN. DITTY ETAL 2,369,340 FOLDABLE STAGE STRUCTURE Filed April 27, "i942 s Sheets-Sheet 1 w n I I w *1 (Ittorneg s 1945. A. v. DITTY ET AL 2,369,340

FOLDABLE S TAGE STRUCTURE Filed April 27, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fl/PTHL/R J E DFORD. 8g

7/ fl% attorneys Feb. 13, 1945.

v. DITTY ET AL FOLDABL'E sTAdE STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ennentors 4411? V. 0/27) 4 977,202 1.1 8

Patented Feb. 13, 1945 Allan V. Ditty, Detroit, and Arthur J. Bradford, Grosse Pointe Park, MiclL, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Technical Service, Incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan.@

j Application A ril 27; 1942, Serial No. 440,710 3 Claims. (01. 272-22) ture which may be quickly and easily erected and one which when folded may be conveniently shipped. 3

Another object of the invention istoprovide a foldable stage structure which is strong and rigid and one having a minimum number of foldable unit structures to provide for. ease of 1 Other objects of the'invention will become apparent from the following detailed description handling and to facilitate erection ofv the stage structure. a

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the foldable stage structure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one corner of the frame structure shown. in perspective;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of an uprightcorner section or unit structure of the stage structure; Fig. 4 is a frontview of the corner section of Fig. 3; t

Fig. 5 is a side view of the corner section of Fig.3; T

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating how the front frame of the corner section folds;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of the corner section of Fig. 3 illustrating how this side frame folds;

Fig. 8 is a side view of upper front or side unit structures which connect the upright corner sections together; and

Fig. 9 shows the structure of Fig. 8 illustrating how said structure folds.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the stage structure shown in Fig. 1 includes a pair of spaced, front upright corner sections or unit structures In and a pair of spaced. rear, upright corner sections or unit; structures H, which units are alike, interchangeable and removable. The corner sections ID are connected together by a front unit section l2 and the rear corner sections II are connected together by a similar rear unit section Hi, the corresponding front and rear corner sections being connected together by side unit structures or sections l4.

Each of the front corner sections HI includes an upright frame member I5 which is common to a pair of foldable or articulated frame members, one of which may be termed the front frame member and the other of which maybe termed the rear frame member, these frames of each corner section being angularly disposed and preferably at right angles to each other to form a corner of the stage structure. ner section frames comprises an upright I6 which is parallel with and is connected at the top and bottom thereof to the common upright frame member l5 by top and bottom cross members l1 thus providing rectangular frames having the common corner frame member |5. The frame crossmembers I! are each made in two parts which are hinged together at their inner ends, as at l8, and at their outer ends are hinged respectively to the uprights l5 and I6, as at 20. ThehingesIB and 20 are arranged such that the 'inner ends of. the crossmembejrs I! may swing inwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 6 which permits the upright frame members l6 tomove toward and position againstor in close proximity to the common upright |5 thus providing a compact unit structure which may be easily handled and shipped in its folded state.

In order to hold the frames of the corner sec tions extended or in unfolded positions, braces 2| are provided at the corners of each frame. The braces 2| each comprise two arms 22, 23 which are pivoted together intermediate their ends, as at 24, and have their outer ends pivoted to the hinged cross members I! and to the upright frame members l5 and I6. The arm 22 of each of the brace 2| is provided with a transversely extending pin which engages in a notch 25 in the corresponding arm 23 to limit outward movement of the brace arms 22 and 23, the pins and notches being arranged to permit the pivot 24 of the braces to move slightly overcenter.

To each of the front corner uprights I0 is hinged, a at 26, a rectangular frame 2'! which extends outwardly from the sides of the stage structure to provide stage wings Each of the arm members 3| and 32.

wing frames 2'! includes spaced upright members 28 and 29 of which the upright side members 28 are attached by the hinges 26 to the common upright 15 of respective corner uprights 10. The

yuprights of the wing frames ar each connected hinges 34 to the upright 29 and the upright 28 whereby the wing frames may be folded up against the common upright l5 of respectiv corner uprights I0. As shown in Fig. 1, the arms 3| Each of the corprisesa pair of upper and lower frame members 38 and 39 each of which is made in two parts which are connected together by hinges 40' to provide for folding the structures longitudinally thereof. M are unfolded, the upper andjlower longitudinal frame members 38 and 39 thereof are held spaced 1 apart by upright members 40 which are in two parts, hinged together at their inner ends by hinges 4 l. At their outer endsflthe upright mem- When the structural units 1.2, 13 and members hinged to said first-named upright members to provide a foldable supporting frame whereby said .cross members may fold inwardly to allow the hinged upright members to move bers 40 are connected by hinges 42 respectively to.

the top and bottom frame members 38 and 39 to provide for folding of the structure such that i the longitudinal members 3'8 and 39 may be brought together. After the longitudinal members 38 and 39 are brought together, the frame may be folded about the hinges 40 thus reducing the structure to a compact folded unitwhich may be easily handled and shipped and will occupy less space than when unfolded. jPreferably, the upright members 40 are hinged to the upper and lower frame members 38, 39 by braces 42 which may be the same as the braces used on the corner members l0, Hand on the wing frames.

The front, rear and side frame structures ,seat on the upper cross mem'bers of the corner structures H], H and may be secured together and to aid corner sections by bolts and nuts or byany other suitable attachment means.

It will be appreciated that we have only described the stage frame structure and that said structure supports curtains and back drops and may compact structure and readily reassembled at another location.

What we claim is:

1. In a foldable. stage structure, a foldableunit together in parallelism, and hinged together upright and cross members hinged .to saidfirstnamed upright member and providing a second foldable supporting frame with the cross members folding inwardly to allow the hinged upright members to collapse in contiguous relationship with the upright vertical members extending at an angle to said first-named frame.

3. In a foldable stage structure, a foldable unit structure comprising upright vertical frame members, a rectangular "horizontal frame structure supported at its corners by said "upright vertical members, hinged together upright and cross members hinged to said first-named upright members to provide a fo'ldable supporting frame with the cross members infolding to collapse said supporting frame, hinged together upright and cross members "hinged to said first-named upright member with the cross members infolding' to allow the upright members to collapse and providing a second foldable supporting frame extending at an angle to .and hinged to said firstnamed supporting frame, and a rectangular wing of hinged together upright and cross members hinged to said first-named upright member with its cross members infolding to allow collapse of i the upright members whereby all of said upright members maybe folded in parallelism.

ALLAN v. mm. ARTHUR BRADFORD. 

